The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has issued a nationwide wanted notice for Nigerian rapper Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, over allegations of raping a 19-year-old woman in Lagos in May 2025.
The agency’s announcement, made on June 27, follows Okoye’s failure to honor multiple summons issued after the victim’s family lodged a formal complaint, detailing a violent assault at a high-end hotel in Victoria Island.
According to the investigation, Okoye allegedly lured the victim under the guise of discussing a music collaboration, only to assault her in his hotel room. NAPTIP presented evidence including CCTV footage showing Okoye and the victim entering the hotel, corroborated by text messages arranging the meeting.
The case has amplified concerns about sexual violence in Nigeria, where 1,200 rape cases were reported in 2024, with only 10% resulting in convictions. Women’s advocacy groups have rallied for stricter enforcement of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, which prescribes a seven-year sentence for rape.
Okoye’s supporters claim the allegations are an attempt to silence his outspoken criticism of government policies, though NAPTIP insists the case is apolitical. The agency is collaborating with Interpol to track Okoye, believed to be in hiding abroad, and plans to charge him under Section 1 of the 2015 Trafficking Act. The pursuit underscores Nigeria’s $500 million trafficking industry, with 5,000 victims rescued in 2024.
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